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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23641552">More Than a Fantasy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhYaBettaDont/pseuds/OhYaBettaDont'>OhYaBettaDont</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dedicated [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters: Sword &amp; Shield | Pokemon Sword &amp; Shield Versions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bede is also trans, Coming of Age, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Multi, Piers is trans, Trans Male Character, just a touch of angst, slow burn? kind of?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:48:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,099</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23641552</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhYaBettaDont/pseuds/OhYaBettaDont</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>With Piers living in Wyndon with Leon now, Marnie comes to realize she should probably put forth some effort into making friends who aren't her brother. Marnie starts hanging out with Bede, which leads just about everyone to assume they're dating. </p><p>This is a sequel to Say Nothing's Impossible that takes place directly after the epilogue.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Beet | Bede/Mary | Marnie, Dande | Leon/Nezu | Piers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dedicated [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1684693</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Coffee Shop</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>No smut in this one, but I hope y'all enjoy it anyway. There will still be some good fluff though! I'm hoping to make this a similar length to Say Nothing's Impossible.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re not making any sense,” said Bede, stirring his iced coconut milk mocha macchiato. “Start over.”</p><p>Marnie took a deep breath. Patiently, she started her explanation over. “Hop lied to you to get ya to come to Spikemuth today. There wasn’t any emergency. He just wanted you to battle me.”</p><p>“I understand that part. What I don’t understand is why he’d go through the trouble of texting me telling me to come all the way here just to battle you.” He sipped his drink. “I figured if this was some kind of prank, he’d at least be here to laugh at me. But he isn’t even here.”</p><p>“It’s not really a prank,” Marnie replied, looking down at her black coffee. “He’s been doin’ this to me lately.”</p><p>“Doing what?”</p><p>Marnie blushed. “He’s been… tryin’ to set me up with his friends.”</p><p>Bede ran a hand through his short, loose curls as he processed Marnie’s words, then a lightbulb went off. “Oh. So, he sent me here, pretending that there was some urgent reason for you and me to battle, to try and set us up together? Am I getting this right?” He made these observations surprisingly matter-of-factly, as if they had nothing to do with him and they weren’t embarrassing as hell.</p><p>Still staring down at her drink to avoid making eye contact with Bede, Marnie replied, “Aye.” She tried to change the subject. “But it was a damn good battle, wasn’t it? It’s been a while since I’ve had that much fun battlin’ another gym leader.” She finally looked back up at him.</p><p>“I could say the same,” Bede said with a pleasant nod. It was odd to see him in Spikemuth. He seemed out of place – everything from his appearance and clothing to the way he spoke and the Pokémon he used just screamed <em>I’m not from here,</em> even more so than the Gym Challengers who periodically came through<em>.</em> Still, it had been a while since she’d talked to him, so she was glad to be able to get coffee with him, even if it was a little weird. Bede returned to the original topic. “So, why is Hop trying to set us up together? Actually, why is he trying to set you up with <em>anyone?”</em></p><p>“Hell if I know.” Marnie rolled her eyes. “I think he fancies himself a matchmaker ever since he’s started takin’ credit for Piers and Leon gettin’ together.”</p><p>Bede scoffed. “That Hop, he really thinks he lives in some kind of fantasy world,” he said, shaking his head disdainfully. “It’s so irritating.”</p><p>“Imagine how irritatin’ it is havin’ him send his weird little friends over to ya all the time.” She stopped herself. “I mean, not you. You’re the least annoyin’ person he’s sent me so far. And he’s sent three other people to me this month.”</p><p>A loud, staccato laugh escaped Bede. “I suppose he’s always been persistent, even when he’s on the wrong track entirely.”</p><p>Bede’s laugh shocked Marnie, and she realized she may have never heard him laugh before. She supposed he was a bit like her in the sense that neither of them tended to make their emotions too obvious to others, and that included not laughing much.</p><p>Maybe the two of them were more alike than Marnie had realized. Piers had been telling Marnie lately that she needed to be more social, and while she didn’t particularly enjoy the presence of most people, she realized she could stand to make more of an effort to hang out with people she actually enjoyed being around.</p><p>“Say, Bede?”</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“What’re ya doin’ later? Like, after this?”</p><p>“I told Granny I’d be home for dinner, but nothing before that. Why?”</p><p>“Piers and Leon are stoppin’ by soon. I’m gonna battle Leon.”</p><p>“Oh, have you battled him before?”</p><p>“Not recently. But I’m totally gonna kick their arse today.” Leon had recently come out as non-binary, and while they still used he/him pronouns, Marnie had been practicing referring to Leon with their new they/them pronouns. “You should stay and watch.”</p><p>***</p><p>Leon and Piers arrived at the Spikemuth gym, walking hand-in-hand as a crowd of about half a dozen Team Yell members followed behind them. Each Team Yell member was chattering away, either trying to get Piers’s attention if they didn’t have it or trying to keep Piers’s attention if they did have it. The whole scene amused Bede. It seemed as though Piers was still an idol to the people of this city, even if he didn’t live there anymore.</p><p>Bede watched as the couple approached Marnie, who’d taken her traditional place onstage, as he sat on the bleachers behind the chain-link fence. Piers and Marnie exchanged a casual head nod (which Bede understood was a normal greeting between two people from Spikemuth) and Piers ambled off the battlefield toward the bleachers. It all seemed oddly ceremonious for such an unofficial match in such a casual setting. Marnie then stepped off the stage and approached Leon.</p><p>Part of Bede expected Marnie to have a speech of some sort prepared or at least to shake Leon’s hand, but instead, she started by saying a bit more loudly than was necessary, “Is that a hickey?”</p><p>Leon instantly turned bright red. “What? No,” they stammered, covering their neck with their hand.</p><p>“It’s massive,” she said, trying to get a closer look. “Piers, what did ya do to them?”</p><p>Scooting onto the bleachers next to Bede, Piers called back, “Don’t listen to her, Lee. She’s makin’ shite up to try and distract ya.” The Team Yell members who had been following Piers before now stood behind him like bodyguards.</p><p>“Well, it’s <em>working,</em>” Leon called to Piers. “You told me there was nothing there!”</p><p>Marnie craned her neck, trying to get a better look at the mark she claimed was there. “The size of it! Bede, ya gotta come see this, it’s huge.”</p><p>Bede flushed. He did not want to be thrown in the middle of this debacle. “I’m just here to watch the match. I’m not interested in… any strange markings on anyone’s skin,” he told Marnie.</p><p>“Just start the fuckin’ match already!” Piers yelled loudly enough to startle Bede. Noticing that Bede flinched, Piers looked at him. “Sorry, mate, but you’re gonna have to get used to a little yellin’ if you’re gonna stay and watch this battle. We’ve got a good portion of Team Yell here, and their name kinda says everythin’ ya need to know about ‘em.” Piers paused. “What’re ya doin’ here, anyway?” he asked. He didn’t say it in any malicious or angry way, just out of curiosity.</p><p>“Well,” Bede started, nervously adjusting his binder, “I was around, and Marnie kind of insisted that I stay to watch her battle Leon. She said something about ‘kicking Leon’s arse,’ if I recall correctly.”</p><p>That last part was supposed to be a joke, but Piers didn’t react. He just hummed to himself and turned back toward the battlefield. Marnie and Leon had just shaken hands and were now getting into position to start the battle, Marnie putting her shoulder-length black hair in a low ponytail.</p><p>A Team Yell member put a hand on Piers’s shoulder. “So who’re ya cheerin’ for, Piers?” she asked in a thick Spikemuth accent. “Your sister or your boyfriend?”</p><p>Piers smirked slightly, playing with his hands. “Well, I s’pose you’re all cheerin’ for Marnie, right?” He looked from Team Yell to Bede. The Team Yell members all murmured their agreement, but Bede just quietly nodded. “Then I guess I should cheer for Lee. Just so Marnie’s not the only one here with fans.” He shot Bede a side-glance when he said the word “fans,” and for some reason, that glance terrified Bede.</p><p>Even though Marnie’s Morpeko managed to singlehandedly wipe out nearly half of Leon’s team, Leon still managed to come through with a win in the end. The win couldn’t come any sooner, either – between the cheering of Piers and Team Yell, Bede thought he might start to suffer from permanent hearing damage if it went on much longer. Plus, the battle had been dragging and he needed to get back to Ballonlea for dinner with Opal.</p><p>On top of all that, of course, was how increasingly uncomfortable Bede had become around Piers. It was a feeling he couldn’t quite place, but he blamed it on Piers’s appearance. With his stick-thin frame and the dark circles under his eyes, the guy reminded Bede too much of a Minecraft skeleton. Bede stood up from his spot on the bleachers and approached Marnie, who was healing up her Pokémon.</p><p>“Great battle,” he said to her.</p><p>“Hm. It was okay,” she replied, not looking up at him. “Woulda been better if I won.”</p><p>“Right. Well, I hope I’m not being rude, but I should be heading home. I don’t want Gran to worry.”</p><p>Marnie finally met his eyes, though only briefly. “That’s all right. Thanks for stayin’ for me match.” She paused. “You’re an all right guy, Bede. We should hang out again soon.”</p><p>“We should,” said Bede, getting out his Rapidash. “Let’s talk sometime this week.”</p><p>“Hey, are ya gonna ride your Rapidash all the way home?” Marnie asked, giving him a curious look.</p><p>“Trust me, he needs the exercise.” Bede hopped on the back of his Rapidash, gave Marnie a quick, polite nod, and then took off. “I’ll talk to you soon,” he called as he quickly faded into the distance.</p><p>Marnie heard Piers grunt from behind her. He must’ve walked up when she wasn’t paying attention. “Y’know,” he said, “I’ve heard of makin’ an entrance before, but that guy even knows how to make his exit, doesn’t he?”</p><p>“I s’pose so,” Marnie replied coolly.</p><p>Piers rested a hand on Marnie’s back. “Can we talk for a minute?”</p><p>“Sure,” said Marnie.</p><p>With that, Piers turned to Leon. “Hey Lee. Marnie and I are gonna go on a quick walk. We’ll meet ya back at the Pokémon center.”</p><p>“Sounds good!” Leon chirped back, picking up the snapback he’d thrown excitedly into the air after winning against Marnie. “Um. Where’s the Pokémon center again?”</p><p>Piers clicked his tongue in amusement. “Here.” He tossed Leon a Poké Ball. “It’s Obstagoon. He’ll show ya the way, keep ya from gettin’ lost.”</p><p>Leon grinned. “Thanks!”</p><p>Turning their backs toward Leon, Piers and Marnie walked away from the Dark-type gym and down a narrow street in Spikemuth. It was all familiar to Marnie – not only had she lived there her whole life, but she also practically ruled the town, especially with Piers living in Wyndon with Leon now. Some residents even affectionately referred to Marnie as Spikemuth’s unofficial queen. Unabashedly, she walked through the streets of her hometown as if she actually owned them.</p><p>For a minute or two, they just walked and didn’t say anything, but Marnie soon spoke up.</p><p>“Before ya ask, Bede and I weren’t on a date. He just stopped by for a quick battle, that’s all.”</p><p>Piers snickered. “I wasn’t gonna ask, but thanks for lettin’ me know.” The corners of his mouth were upturned in an amused half-smile. Marnie was tempted to punch him for giving her that look, but she held herself back. They walked a few more seconds before Piers started again. “I just wanted to tell ya that Lee and I are gettin’ married.”</p><p>Marnie stopped walking. She was sure she’d misheard him. “You’re <em>what?”</em></p><p>Instead of repeating himself, Piers faced her and held up his left hand to show off the new golden band he wore on his ring finger. “Lee proposed last night. We’re gonna get married.”</p><p>Marnie opened her mouth, but no words came out. She grabbed her brother’s hand and studied the ring as if it might be an illusion. The band was made of shiny gold, with four smallish diamonds and three smallish amethysts running a line across the top. A simple, but classy ring. Apparently Leon had decent taste. “Piers… this is crazy,” she muttered, still incredulous.</p><p>“I thought so too, at first,” Piers admitted, “but it makes sense. We’ve been together over a year, and we’re at that age where decisions like this should be made. Lee’s turnin’ thirty in December, y’know, and I’m not too far behind them.”</p><p><em>My brother gettin’ married… How am I supposed to feel about this?</em> Marnie thought. She had no idea what to say, but she tried to look at him warmly. “Well, congrats, bro.”</p><p>“Thanks, but there’s one other thing I wanted to talk to ya about.” Piers took his hand back from Marnie’s grasp.</p><p>Marnie’s heart stopped, though she tried not to show it. “Are you pregnant?”</p><p>Piers groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Would ya stop jumpin’ to that conclusion every time I say I need to tell ya somethin’? I’m not fuckin’ pregnant. That’s not even… likely.”</p><p>“But it’s <em>possible.”</em></p><p>Piers started saying something, but he stopped himself. “No. We’re not changin’ the subject. This is important.” He took a deep breath and started speaking in a calmer tone. “Marnie.” He looked her directly in the eyes, and his expression told Marnie that this was not something to joke about. “Will you be my best man? At the weddin’?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*cries in Scottish*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Opal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Bede has dinner with Opal. Marnie has dinner with the entire wedding party for Piers's wedding.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Bede got home, Opal was in the kitchen preparing dinner.</p><p>“There you are,” said Opal, her back turned to him. “I was starting to worry you weren’t coming home for dinner after all.”</p><p>Bede shut the door calmly. “Yes, well, I was held up a little longer than I’d expected. What are you making?” He purposely changed the subject before she could ask any questions.</p><p>“Slowpoke tails.”</p><p>“Would you like help?” Bede knew Opal would probably say no – she always claimed that he hovered too much when she was trying to cook. Still, she would get upset if he didn’t at least offer.</p><p>Opal waved a hand. “No, they’re already in the oven. I’m just mashing some peas to go with them.”</p><p>“All right. I’ll be right back.” With that, he hurried to his room.</p><p>“Ten minutes!” Opal called as he sped away.</p><p>“Yes, Gran,” he replied before abruptly shutting his bedroom door.</p><p>His binder was killing him, and he had to get it off <em>now.</em> He pulled off his shirt, then this undershirt, then struggled out of his binder. Observing his clothes, he realized what the problem was: he’d been sweating way more than he usually would just from riding Rapidash. <em>It’s probably from the coffee I had earlier,</em> he thought. <em>Why do I bother with caffeine when it only ever makes me anxious? </em></p><p>When it came to caffeine habits, Opal was Bede’s opposite: she weighed about 95 pounds and liked to drink two cups of coffee right before bed. Bede had no idea how that woman could function like that without her heart exploding. If he were honest, he’d admit that it worried him some. More of his nightmares involved Opal having a heart attack than he’d ever feel comfortable telling anyone.</p><p>Bede quickly threw on some clean clothes, choosing a baggy sweatshirt that hid his chest. He paired it with khakis in hopes that this outfit would be good enough that Opal wouldn’t tell him he looked sloppy. She frequently chided him for the baggy clothes he liked to wear at home, saying that “gender dysphoria is no excuse to dress like a savage,” and he <em>really</em> wasn’t in the mood for that talk over dinner tonight.</p><p>He emerged from his room. Opal was just getting the Slowpoke tails out of the oven when he got to the kitchen, so Bede set the table for her while she set the food down to cool. Two plates, two forks, two knives, two cups. Just like every night, except for Thursdays when Opal was gone for bridge club.</p><p>“So,” said Opal as she filled both plates, “what was so important that you had to abandon Ballonlea Stadium all afternoon?”</p><p>Instinctually, Bede puffed. “Like we’d have any Gym Challengers come by even if I were here. You know as well as I do how slow it’s been.”</p><p>Bede and Opal sat to eat. Opal said, “You know, when I was your age, I had Gym Challengers lining up outside Ballonlea Stadium to battle me. There were days when I had to turn people away!”</p><p>Slicing his meat, Bede sighed. “I know, Gran, but that’s because back then, challengers could go through the Gym Challenge in whatever order they wanted. Now that there’s a set order and the gyms have all gotten harder, most challengers never make it here because they can’t even make it past Kabu.”</p><p>Opal chewed a bite of Slowpoke tail and swallowed. “Challengers or not, you still shouldn’t leave Ballonlea Stadium unattended in the middle of the day like that unless something very important comes up.” While she said this, she gestured with her fork, waving it as if it were a magic wand.</p><p>“I know that,” he muttered.</p><p>“Then where were you all afternoon?”</p><p>Bede took a deep breath. “Well, Gran,” he started, “I was in Spikemuth.”</p><p>Opal’s eyes went wide with shock, and she nearly dropped her fork. “Spikemuth? What on Earth were you doing there? You know, the last time I stepped foot in that dirty little town I nearly stepped in broken glass. Twice!”</p><p>“And when was that? Twenty years ago?” he grumbled.</p><p>“I just don’t see what kind of business a respectable boy like you would have there.”</p><p>Bede knew Opal would pry. He was not looking forward to telling her why he was there, but he also respected her too much to try and lie to her. “I had to see Marnie,” he admitted.</p><p>In an instant, Opal’s demeanor shifted. She was no longer scolding him – instead, she seemed surprised and interested in a pleasant way. “Marnie, as in Piers’s younger sister?”</p><p>“Yes. She’s also the Dark-type gym leader.” That last fact was probably obvious, but Bede thought it was important because Marnie was more than just Piers’s younger sister.</p><p>Opal took a sip of water, thinking for a moment. “While I admit that I don’t know Marnie that well, I’ll say that if she’s anything like her brother, then I’m sure she’s a wonderful young woman.” She looked at Bede contently. “I approve of you dating her.”</p><p>Bede had to swallow his mouthful of Slowpoke tail hard to avoid spitting it out in shock. “Gran! It wasn’t a date!”</p><p>“Oh, whatever you kids are calling it these days,” she said dismissively. “Hooking up? Netflix and chill?”</p><p>Hearing ninety-something-year-old Opal say the words “Netflix and chill” made Bede gasp so hard that it sent him into a coughing fit. “No!” he choked between coughs. When he was finally able to catch his breath, he put his head in his hands. “There is no way either of those things mean what you think they mean, Gran. We didn’t do anything like that. We just had a Pokémon battle and then went out for coffee, that’s all.”</p><p>“Well, I hope you at least had the decency to pay for her drink.”</p><p>“Of course I did,” Bede hissed. “I wasn’t raised by a pack of Arcanine.”</p><p>***</p><p>“Everybody smile!” Raihan called out as he took his fifth group photo so far that night. Everyone at the booth smiled for the picture, except for Marnie. She was never much of a smiler, even for photos. Leon and Piers were dead center. Next to Leon was Raihan, and next to Raihan was Hop. Marnie was in between Piers and Sonia. This group would make for a small wedding party, but Marnie figured that’s what the happy couple wanted.</p><p>Hop, already a little drunk though the food hadn’t even arrived yet, said for about the twentieth time, “I’m just so happy for you guys. This is so exciting!”</p><p>Leon grinned so big that it forced his eyes shut. “I know, right? Thank you guys so much for coming on such short notice.”</p><p>“Anything for you, homie,” said Raihan, putting an arm around Leon’s shoulders affectionately. “This is huge! You know I would’ve dropped anything to come celebrate my best friend’s engagement.”</p><p>Sonia leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “So, what else have you decided already, other than who’s in your wedding party?” She asked. “Have you picked a date yet? Or colors for the wedding? Or which of you is walking down the aisle?”</p><p>“I’m the bride,” Leon declared. “That’s about all we’ve figured out so far. Though I’d like to get married in the summer.” A dreamy look crossed his face. “What do you think, Piers?”</p><p>Marnie saw Piers grab Leon’s hand under the table. “Honestly, we could get married tomorrow in a parkin’ garage and I’d be happy. I don’t care when or how it all happens.”</p><p>“But it has to be something we’ll remember forever, right?” Leon asked. “We’re only gonna get married once! We may as well have flowers and ribbons –”</p><p>“And an open bar!” Raihan interrupted.</p><p>“Ha! Of course there’ll be an open bar,” said Leon, patting Raihan’s hand that was resting on his shoulder. “And a buffet. And a DJ!”</p><p>“Hell yeah, brother,” said Raihan. “I absolutely <em>live</em> for weddings, so any planning help you need, just reach out to your man of honor, got it?”</p><p>They continued talking about the wedding, and Marnie quickly lost interest in the conversation. She was still having trouble wrapping her head around the thought that Piers, her brother, was getting married. She should’ve seen it coming, of course, as he’d been living with Leon for several months now, but for some reason it still made her uneasy. It had already been a big enough change when Piers had moved away. What all would be different when he got married? Would she see him even less than she did now? Would she <em>want </em>to see him less?</p><p>Their food arrived, forcing Marnie out of her own head. The conversation going on around her stopped briefly too as everyone dug into their food. But soon Hop interrupted the silence.</p><p>“So, Marnie,” he said, a devious smile crossing his face. Marnie was a little surprised that she was being addressed directly, as she hadn’t said much since getting to the restaurant. “Lee told me you had a special visitor in Spikemuth yesterday?” He giggled silently. Marnie hoped someone would have the good sense to cut off his drinking soon – he was only eighteen, the same age as Marnie, and though eighteen was the legal drinking age in Galar, he clearly didn’t know his limit yet.</p><p>All eyes at the booth were fixed on Marnie. “Special visitor? What’re you talkin’ about?” she asked with her mouth full.</p><p>Hop leaned forward on the table, narrowly avoiding putting an elbow directly in his pasta. “Weren’t you hanging out with a certain <em>Bede</em> yesterday?”</p><p>Marnie looked away. “And what if I was?”</p><p>Raihan piped in. “Hey! If you were hanging out with a boy, I wanna know how it went!” He sounded like a little kid demanding a toy.</p><p>“It wasn’t like that,” Marnie replied with a scoff. “He just came by for a Pokémon battle, then we went out for coffee.”</p><p>“Did he pay for your coffee?” Sonia asked.</p><p>Marnie thought about it. “Um. Aye?”</p><p>“Then it was a date,” said Raihan.</p><p>“No, it wasn’t!” Marnie coughed. “He was just bein’ polite. I mean, Piers usually pays for me when we go out. Does that mean I’m datin’ my brother?”</p><p>Still smiling, Raihan shook his head. “No, that’s different. That’s a sibling date.”</p><p>“You’re full of shite, Raihan,” Marnie hissed, taking a sip of her cabernet.</p><p>Piers playfully elbowed Marnie. “You’re leavin’ out an important detail,” he said. “He stayed for your match with Lee.”</p><p>Heat rose in Marnie’s face, and she wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or confusion. Or both. “What’s that got to do with anythin’?” she asked.</p><p><em>“And</em> he cheered ya on,” Piers continued. “Though you prob’ly didn’t hear him over Team Yell.”</p><p>“He cheered you on?” Raihan butted in again. “Girl. He definitely likes you.”</p><p>Hop flashed Marnie a shit-eating grin. “I knew he would. I mean, they’re so similar. I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re celebrating Bede and Marnie’s engagement this time next year.” He sat up straighter, puffing out his chest proudly.</p><p>Piers grunted. “Well, he’s gotta go through me first. Nobody’s datin’ me little sister without my approval.”</p><p>Marnie wanted to die. She usually wouldn’t mind being the center of attention – after all, it was her prerogative as a gym leader to capture an audience’s eye and keep them interested – but this sucked. If she didn’t have to slide past Sonia in the booth to get up, she probably would’ve walked out.</p><p>Luckily, the group quickly got bored with antagonizing Marnie and went back to enthusing about the wedding.</p><p>Marnie didn’t talk much for the rest of the night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The teen angst is strong with these two<br/>Also yes they eat mushy peas. They’re British. It’s a thing</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Shopping</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Bede takes Marnie shopping.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bede stared at his phone. <em>Don’t be a coward, </em>he thought. <em>Just text her. </em></p>
<p>He opened his recent text conversation with Marnie, then closed it. <em>This should not be this hard. It’s just Marnie. I’ve known her forever. Why am I so nervous about talking to her? </em></p>
<p>He asked himself that, but he knew the answer well. Though he wasn’t quite sure when it had started, he’d slowly developed a bit of a crush on Marnie over the years. She was cute, and it seemed like she only got cuter by the day. It felt cruel, like the universe was playing a trick on him. To have feelings like that over someone who was essentially a coworker – it was awful!</p>
<p>But she’d told him she wanted to hang out again, which means she was at least interested in being his friend. So, he worked up the nerve to text her.</p>
<p>
  <em>Hey Marnie. I was thinking about going shopping after work tomorrow. Care to join?</em>
</p>
<p>She replied quickly.</p>
<p>
  <em>busy tomorrow. how about Friday?</em>
</p>
<p>Bede frowned. He was really hoping that he could see her on a Thursday while Opal was gone for bridge club – not that he expected much to happen, he was just hoping that he wouldn’t have to bring Marnie around Opal. Who knows the kind of stuff Opal might say to Marnie! If she said anything hurtful or embarrassing, Bede might die.</p>
<p>His desire to see Marnie overpowered his self-preservation instincts, so he agreed to see her on Friday.</p>
<p>
  <em>Friday’s fine, but Gran will expect me home for dinner. You can join us if you’d like.</em>
</p>
<p>He figured it would be rude not to invite her. He didn’t exactly expect her to accept the dinner invitation.</p>
<p>
  <em>sounds fun. see you then</em>
</p>
<p>This would be interesting.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>“So, Bede,” said Marnie as she browsed absently through the racks at the boutique, “you lookin’ for somethin’ in particular?” She glanced at his current outfit. “Maybe somethin’ that doesn’t make ya glow in the dark?”</p>
<p>Bede puffed, trying not to blush. “Hey. I happen to like the way I dress. If you ask me, I think you could stand to incorporate <em>more</em> color in your wardrobe.”</p>
<p>Marnie put her hands on her hips. “Oh yeah? Well, when was the last time you wore somethin’ black? It’s a good, subtle color. Goes with everythin’.”</p>
<p>“I’ll tell you what.” He shot her a competitive smile. “I’ll let you pick out an outfit for me if I get to pick one out for you.”</p>
<p>Marnie’s bright green eyes widened slightly in excitement. “You’re on.”</p>
<p>They split up and shuffled through the racks. Bede wondered if he may have overstepped a boundary by commenting on Marnie’s clothes like that, but then again, she’d said something about his fashion sense first. Someone like Marnie surely wouldn’t dish it if she couldn’t take it, right?</p>
<p>Shit, what was he going to have her wear, anyway? He tried to avoid skirts and shorts that were too short and shirts that were too low-cut, which left a disappointingly small selection. <em>Is it always this hard to shop for women’s clothes?</em> he asked himself. He glanced at Marnie, who was on the other side of the store perusing the men’s section. It looked like she had already picked out a black garment of some sort for him. Of course.</p>
<p>After spending probably too long overthinking his choice, he finally settled on an ensemble for her. It was something colorful, but not too over-the-top in his mind. They met back up in front of the dressing room.</p>
<p>“You try yours on first,” Marnie commanded, eagerly shoving the outfit she’d picked for Bede into his arms.</p>
<p>Bede went into the dressing room and tried on the outfit, which consisted of relaxed-fit black cotton pants, a long-sleeved black-and-white undershirt, and a black graphic tee with the Fairy-type logo on it to go over the long-sleeved shirt. <em>Jeez, she’s dressing me like an e-boy… </em>he thought as he examined himself in the dressing room. <em>…But I don’t hate it.</em></p>
<p>He stepped out to show Marnie, doing a fashion-model twirl as she nodded her approval.</p>
<p><em>“Yes,” </em>said Marnie. “That outfit <em>rocks. </em>You <em>have</em> to get it.” She wasn’t smiling, but her eyes smiled.</p>
<p>“I’m not getting anything until you try your outfit on,” he said, handing her the outfit he’d picked out for her.</p>
<p>After a couple minutes in the dressing room, Marnie emerged. It was a simple outfit: a short-sleeved robin egg blue blouse with a high-waisted pastel yellow skirt and a plain black belt, but it was colorful, and Bede liked the way it looked on her.</p>
<p>“Bede!” Marnie hissed, blushing. “I look like an Easter egg!”</p>
<p>“No, you don’t,” he replied. “You look beautiful.” Immediately realizing what he’d just said and how <em>fucking awkward </em>that sounded, he covered his mouth and turned away from her. Heat rushed in his face, no doubt turning him bright red. “I mean, you look… good. It’s a good outfit. You should get it. If you want,” he stammered.</p>
<p>Either Marnie didn’t notice how awkward Bede felt or she simply ignored it, because she absently turned back to look at herself in the mirror. “Hm. I guess it’s all right.” She looked back at Bede. “I’ll get my outfit if you get yours.”</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Opal gave Bede a horrified look when he entered the house in his new outfit. “Bede, what on Earth are you wearing?” she gasped.</p>
<p>Under normal circumstances, anything Bede said in a situation like this would inevitably lead to a lecture, but he had a good idea to deflect her question this time. “Oh, do you like it, Gran?” he asked innocently. “Marnie picked it out for me.”</p>
<p>Opal’s expression instantly changed, melting into a pleasant smile in front of Marnie. “Is that so?” she asked warmly. “Well, it’s lovely. You have great taste, Marnie.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Ms. Opal,” Marnie said, nodding politely.</p>
<p>“Come set, you two. Dinner’s just about ready. It’s just soup and salad tonight, I hope that’s okay.”</p>
<p>“Do you want any help?” Bede asked.</p>
<p>“No. Set down, boy,” Opal said kind of harshly. As she set the table and served the food, she smiled at Marnie. “So, Marnie, how is your brother? I haven’t seen him in probably a year.” She sat down across the table from Marnie and Bede.</p>
<p>Marnie blew on a spoonful of soup. “Piers is doing good. Did you hear he’s getting married?”</p>
<p>Bede had thought he was hearing things earlier, but he was now sure that Marnie’s Spikemuth accent had disappeared. He’d never heard her code-switch like that before, and it was odd.</p>
<p>“Is he, now?” Opal asked, delighted. “That’s great news! To Leon, I presume?” Marnie nodded. “Oh, how wonderful! They are such a cute couple, aren’t they?”</p>
<p>“They’re very happy together,” Marnie replied. She was unreadable, but something about her response made Bede uneasy. It seemed too plain, as if she wasn’t excited about her brother’s wedding.</p>
<p>Of course, the issue might just be that Marnie wasn’t a very animated person. She could be thrilled that her brother was getting married and nobody in the room would ever know. Maybe Bede was just overthinking it.</p>
<p>Opal took a bite of her salad. “I’m sure a beautiful young woman like yourself already has a date to your brother’s wedding, don’t you?”</p>
<p>“A date?” The thought had obviously never crossed Marnie’s mind.</p>
<p>“Gran!” Bede exclaimed. He just knew Opal would say at least <em>one</em> horrendously embarrassing thing to Marnie while she was here.</p>
<p>“What? People still do that, don’t they? And surely as Piers’s sister, he’d allow you a plus-one.”</p>
<p>“Um.” Marnie looked shocked, unsure of what to say.</p>
<p>“She doesn’t know yet. Don’t pressure her.” Bede felt blush burn his cheeks. He really hoped that Opal would end the conversation there.</p>
<p>Luckily, the three managed to eat in silence for a few minutes. Bede took that as a sign that Opal might be done saying ridiculous things, but like always, he underestimated her. “You know, Marnie,” she said after a sacred period of silence, “I always hoped Bede would bring home a good girl like you someday.”</p>
<p>Both Bede and Marnie instantly started coughing up whatever they’d just tried to swallow. <em>What the hell was that comment for?</em> Marnie caught her breath first, managing to wipe the tears out of her eyes and utter, “Huh?!”</p>
<p>When Bede finally gasped in a steady breath, he started, “Gran! It’s not—”</p>
<p>But Opal interrupted him. “Or a boy. Or whomever. You know what I meant, boy. I didn’t mean to assume you only liked girls.” She said this with her nose stuck up. They’d had similar conversations several times before.</p>
<p>Bede wanted to crawl in a hole die at that moment, but he also saw that Marnie was visibly uncomfortable. She finished her last few spoonfuls of soup, then stood up from the table. “Well, thank you for dinner, but I should head home,” she said evenly.</p>
<p>Bede also got up. “Why don’t I wait with you until your taxi arrives?”</p>
<p>Opal made no attempt to stop them as they both scurried through the front door, Marnie muttering a quick thank-you and goodbye to Opal before stepping out. Marnie called a taxi, and as they waited, they stood next to each other, staring at the ground. After a few moments of excruciating silence, Bede spoke up.</p>
<p>“Hey. Sorry about Granny. As much as she gets on my case about being more of a gentleman, sometimes she doesn’t exactly know how to act herself.”</p>
<p>“It seems like she misses Piers,” Marnie whispered. Bede wasn’t even sure she’d heard what he’d just said – it seemed like she’d been thinking about that instead. “I should tell him to give her a call sometime.”</p>
<p>Bede didn’t have any siblings, so he didn’t exactly understand Marnie’s relationship with Piers. It seemed like they were closer than most siblings were. He supposed that if he had one (and only one) living immediate relative like that then he might also be close with that relative, but he couldn’t imagine having a relationship like Piers and Marnie’s with anyone. The closest thing he had to family was Opal, and while he called her “Granny,” they weren’t even blood related.</p>
<p>Still, Bede admired how much Marnie cared for both Piers and, surprisingly, Opal too. Outwardly, she didn’t seem like she cared about much of anything, but it seemed like that was just a front she put on. She seemed to care deeply about many things and many people.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For all of you who want to scream at Bede to tell Marnie how he feels: don't worry, I'm right there with you. He's just awkward.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Cooking</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Marnie goes to Piers and Leon's condo to cook and chat, and the subject of the wedding inevitably comes up.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“We’re back!” Leon called as they stepped through the door of their condo, Hop following close behind them. Leon held a big bouquet of red roses, and Hop carried a four-foot loaf of Italian bread resting on his shoulder like a musket.</p>
<p>Marnie and Piers, in the kitchen, looked up from their cooking as Leon approached Piers with the bouquet.</p>
<p>“These are for you,” Leon said, blushing as they held out the roses for Piers.</p>
<p>Piers also blushed, accepting the bouquet. “You big sap,” he teased. He gazed lovingly into Leon’s eyes for a moment, then added, “Thank you.”</p>
<p>They exchanged a sweet peck on the lips, but before Piers could pull away, Leon wrapped their arms around him and pulled him in for a deeper, sloppier kiss.</p>
<p>“Ugh,” Marnie inadvertently muttered. She thought physical affection was gross, especially kissing.</p>
<p>When the kiss ended, Piers laughed. “Lee, c’mon, not in front of the kids,” he said as he made a half-assed attempt to wiggle out of Leon’s arms.</p>
<p>Hop piped in. “Hey! Marnie and I aren’t kids, we’re adults!” he declared proudly, setting down the bread loaf and crossing his arms over his chest. “Right, Marnie?” He grinned at her.</p>
<p>“Whatever,” Marnie grumbled as she went back to breading the eggplant slices for their eggplant parmesan. She didn’t dislike Hop, but she had little interest in engaging in conversation with him, because every time they had started a conversation together lately, Hop always managed to turn it into a talk about her (uneventful) love life. Marnie didn’t want to worry about romance at a time like this. With Piers’s wedding just two months away, she wanted nothing more than to focus on her responsibilities as her brother’s best man.</p>
<p>And to try and enjoy the time she had left with her brother before he committed himself fully to someone else.</p>
<p>After putting the roses in some water, Piers started grating a block of parmesan. “What’s on your mind, Marnie?” he asked. He was trying to sound casual, but Marnie could hear a hint of worry in his voice. He could clearly tell that something was up.</p>
<p>“Nothin’,” she tried, knowing that answer probably wouldn’t work.</p>
<p>“You’re a liar,” Piers said evenly, keeping his eyes on the cheese. “What’s goin’ on?”</p>
<p>Marnie had no idea to articulate what she was feeling, and even if she did she wasn’t sure she’d want to talk about it in front of her brother’s fiancé since, in a way, Leon could be considered the problem. Obviously, she wanted her brother to be happy, and Leon made him happy, but she didn’t want anyone to take Piers away from her. Maybe that was selfish, but it was how she felt.</p>
<p>Of course, she couldn’t say that, so she tried to think of something else. “Well, I was over at Opal’s the other day—”</p>
<p>“In Ballonlea? What were ya doin’ all the way out there?” Piers interrupted.</p>
<p>Marnie tried hard not to blush, as that would be an obvious tell that she’d been hanging out with Bede. Piers, Leon and Hop all had their eyes on her. She knew that at least one of them would give her grief if they knew.</p>
<p>“Not important. So Opal and I were talkin’—”</p>
<p>Hop interrupted with a loud, exaggerated gasp. “Wait. Marnie, were you hanging out with <em>Bede</em> again?” Marnie had come to hate the way Hop said Bede’s name, and the shit-eating grin that inevitably accompanied it.</p>
<p>“Shut it,” Marnie growled.</p>
<p>Leon, looking back and forth from Marnie to Hop like a gossiping teenage girl, grinned with wide eyes. “Ooh, that means you were! What did you guys do?” They asked the question as if something really interesting must’ve happened, but all Marnie and Bede did was go shopping and then have dinner with Opal.</p>
<p>Marnie scoffed. “Don’t say it like that! We didn’t do nothin’!” Heat rose in her face and her ears. Hop and Leon both used to be scared of her, but they’d gotten to a point where they teased her as much as Piers did. It was like having two extra brothers, and Marnie had very mixed feelings about it.</p>
<p> “You didn’t do anything?” Hop asked as he sliced the Italian bread. “So did you just stare lovingly into each other’s eyes all night?” He batted his eyelashes jokingly.</p>
<p>“What?!” Marnie knew her face was probably about as red as the tomato sauce in front of her by now, partially from embarrassment and partially from shock. “Eww, no! Can I please just get on with what I was tryin’ to say?”</p>
<p>Piers looked up from grating the cheese. “Guys.” He gave Hop and Leon a <em>Shut the hell up</em> look, and they shut the hell up. “Go on, Marnie. What were ya sayin’ about Opal?”</p>
<p><em>“Thank</em> you, Piers.” Marnie threw the breaded eggplant slices in the oven. “I was talkin’ to her and she kept askin’ me questions about you. She didn’t even know you and Leon were gettin’ married.”</p>
<p>Leon gasped. “Crap! I knew we were forgetting someone on the guest list! Hey Rotom.” Leon’s phone, beeping, floated over to them. “Text Mum. Tell her to send a wedding invitation to Opal…” They snickered a little. “…and Bede.”</p>
<p>Scrubbing her face with her hands, Marnie groaned. “You guys seriously aren’t gonna let this go, are ya?”</p>
<p>“Nope,” Leon replied frankly.</p>
<p>“Ugh. Look. Bede and I are just friends. Piers keeps tellin’ me I should make more friends, so that’s what I’m tryin’ to do. Right, Piers?”</p>
<p>Piers, now finished with grating the parmesan, leaned his back against the counter. “Sure, but it’s fine if ya want a boyfriend, too.”</p>
<p>“I don’t!” Marnie shouted. Her voice echoed in the condo, and then the silence it left in the room was like a vacuum. The others in the room were visibly startled. Good. “What’s wrong with the way I am now? I’ve got me Pokémon, I’ve got Team Yell, and I’ve got Piers. What do I need a boyfriend for, huh?” She slapped her hand against the counter to punctuate her aggravation.</p>
<p>Piers put a hand on Marnie’s shoulder, giving it an affectionate squeeze. “Marnie, we’re just givin’ ya a hard time. We know ya don’t need a boyfriend.” He leaned in a little closer, as if to tell her a secret. “But you’d better tell me when ya do meet somebody, or I’ll kick your arse and theirs.” He flashed a playful half-smile.</p>
<p>“Pfft. Sure ya would,” said Marnie as she shrugged Piers’s hand off of her.</p>
<p>Still smiling, Piers fidgeted with his engagement ring. “I do still wanna invite Bede to the weddin’, though. I’ll bet he’s pretty fun when ya get a couple drinks in him.”</p>
<p>Marnie opened her mouth to say something, but there were about five things she wanted to say and she decided against saying any of them.</p>
<p>Still, in a weird way she was glad that Bede would be at the wedding. He’d be one more person she knew she could hang out with, and she didn’t even have to count him as her date.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>“I just don’t know, Marnie,” Bede muttered into the phone. He’d given her a call after an invitation to Piers and Leon’s wedding showed up in the mail that afternoon. “I mean, obviously I’m flattered that I was included in the invite, but I don’t really know either of them that well. I feel like they probably just invited me out of courtesy since they wanted to invite Gran.”</p>
<p>“No, no,” Marnie replied, “I talked to them. They want you <em>and</em> Opal at the weddin’, I promise.” Her voice got quieter in a sort of pleading way. “Please come.”</p>
<p>For some reason, Bede imagined Marnie giving him puppy dog eyes at that moment. It was a ridiculous thought because Marnie probably would never do something like that, but he couldn’t get the mental image out. He blushed, thankful that he wasn’t on video chat with her. Curse those beautiful green eyes of hers. Curse her smooth voice and the way her accent gave every word a contrasting bite. He knew protesting at this point would probably be pointless because he’d end up doing as she asked anyway, but he tried. “I just don’t know if I’ll be comfortable there. I mean, it’ll be all their friends and family and then… me.”</p>
<p>“I’ll hang out with you.” Marnie’s voice was surprisingly plucky, but in a casual way.</p>
<p>“You will?” Bede stammered, surprised.</p>
<p>“Sure I will, when I’m not busy doin’ best man stuff at least. We’ll have fun.”</p>
<p>Bede sucked in a deep breath through his teeth. Yep, she talked him into it. “Fine, I’ll go. But I’ll warn you, I’m not much of a dancer, and I’m not really into drinking.”</p>
<p>Marnie clicked her tongue. “We can fix that.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hhhhhhhh I'm such a sucker for writing dnnz fluff... I'm trying really hard to not overdo it but Leon and Piers are simply so cute together and I won't apologize because I'm right dammit</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Wedding</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's Piers and Leon's wedding day!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sonia, still in her stretch pants and a baggy t-shirt, her own hair and makeup only half-done, fussed over Piers’s face. “Could you <em>please</em> stay still?” she asked as she attempted to fix his eyeliner. “You know, I really thought a performer like you would be better at getting his makeup done like this.”</p><p>Piers kept his eyes closed so that Sonia wouldn’t lecture him anymore. “Well, I usually do me own stage makeup. I woulda been happy to do me own makeup for this, too.”</p><p>“Oh, hell no,” Sonia chided. “I spent too many hours looking up goth wedding makeup tutorials to let you do your own makeup for your wedding.” Satisfied with the eyeliner, she reached for one of her three eyeshadow palettes for finishing touches. “Also, I don’t think Hop will ever forgive me for how much I practiced on him, so at the very least I can’t let his agony go to waste.”</p><p>Marnie chuckled at the thought of Hop, who to her knowledge has never worn makeup in his life, grimacing and twitching as his boss tried to keep him still long enough to get his eyeshadow just right. “I guess that kinda thing falls under ‘Other Duties As Assigned’ for a lab assistant?”</p><p>“Exactly,” said Sonia with a playful wink. “Okay, I’m all done. Do you want lipstick?” she asked Piers.</p><p>Piers thought about it. “Prob’ly shouldn’t. Don’t wanna risk stainin’ my white tux, or gettin’ lipstick on whatever Lee’s wearin’.”</p><p> “Whatever Lee’s wearin’? Do ya not know what Lee’s gonna wear?” Marnie asked</p><p>“They wanted it to be a surprise,” Piers replied with a shrug. “Though I’m sure their bridesmen helped them pick out somethin’ nice.”</p><p>“Oh, you bet we did,” Raihan’s voice came from the door. He strode into the room like he owned the place, mostly dressed except that his gold bowtie was untied and the black tuxedo jacket that should accompany his ensemble was absent. “Your bride looks awesome.”</p><p>Marnie stood up in surprise. “Raihan? What’re you doin’ here? I thought Obstagoon was s’posed to be watchin’ the door.”</p><p>With a smile, Raihan replied, “He was. I just used Lee’s trick of getting past him: I gave him a little scratch under the chin.”</p><p><em>I really need to help Piers with Obstagoon’s obedience trainin’, </em>Marnie thought. But she supposed that was the least of her worries – her brother was getting <em>married</em> today. Any Pokémon training with him would have to wait until after his honeymoon.</p><p>Piers turned to face Raihan, whose eyes went wide at the sight of the perfect black-and-gold goth makeup on Piers’s face. “Damn Piers, you’re looking hot!” Raihan’s smile morphed into a smirk.</p><p>Piers put his hands on his hips, clicking his tongue in amusement. “Leave it to Raihan to flirt with a guy on his weddin’ day.”</p><p>“Oh c’mon, you know I’m just trying to butter you up so that I can beat Hop out for godfather status when the time comes. If you know what I mean.” Raihan winked at Piers.</p><p>“Godfather status?” Sonia gasped in excitement. “Piers, are you and Lee having a baby?” She looked at Piers wide-eyed.</p><p>The question left Marnie feeling like she’d just gotten punched in the chest. <em>No, it couldn’t be, </em>she thought. <em>Piers wouldn’t do a shotgun weddin’ like this… Would he? He’d tell me if he was.</em></p><p>“What? No,” Piers stammered. Marnie let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d started holding. Piers glared at Raihan. “Did you just come here to spread rumors, or do ya need somethin’?”</p><p>“The bride sent me over to check on their groom. I think they were worried you’d be trying to escape through an open window by now.”</p><p>Piers puffed. “Well, I’m so nervous I feel like I might puke, but no, I’m not gettin’ cold feet or nothin’.” He took a deep breath, looking at his reflection in the mirror. “I’m sure about this.”</p><p>Raihan put an arm around Piers. “Good. Don’t be nervous. Just remember that if the minister asks you a question, the answer is probably ‘I do.’”</p><p><em>Doesn’t have to be,</em> Marnie thought, and even thinking that made her feel guilty. She wanted to be happy for her brother, but part of her still felt like she was being abandoned. Part of her wanted things to go back to the way they were before Piers was with Leon, when it was just Piers and Marnie. When things were simpler.</p><p>Chuckling and shaking her head, Sonia said, “Thanks for sharing a bit of your endless wisdom with us, Raihan. Now if you don’t mind, some of us still need to get ready.” She gestured toward the door.</p><p>“Ha. Fine. I should probably get back to helping the bride anyway.” He turned on his heel and headed back to the door, stopping briefly before opening it to turn back to Piers. “I’ll see you at the altar, cutie.” With that, he left.</p><p>“That guy’s a piece of work,” said Marnie, clicking her tongue. She patted Piers on the back. “Go get dressed so I can do your hair.”</p><p>“Sure thing, Mum,” Piers teased. Marnie rolled her eyes, but Piers’s expression softened. “Seriously though, thank you. Both of you. You’re the best groomsmen a guy could ask for.”</p><p>Marnie was nowhere near ready to get sentimental. In fact, she’d be happy skipping all the sentimental stuff and going straight to the part where she got to hang out by the open bar. In an attempt to deflect Piers’s comment, she gave him a playful shove. “Really? Ya can’t save the sappy stuff for the ceremony? Go get dressed or you’ll be late to your own weddin’.”</p><p>***</p><p>An usher approached Opal and Bede when they entered the chapel. “Bride’s side or groom’s side?” the man asked.</p><p>“We’re here for Piers,” Opal replied, speaking slowly and loudly as if the usher were an idiot.</p><p>“The groom? Very good. Right this way.” He led them to an empty row on the right side of the chapel. As Bede helped Opal take her seat, he noticed that the groom’s side only had a fraction of the number of guests that the bride’s side had. By the looks of it, Leon seemed to have a big family, but Bede also noticed many people who weren’t family members, including Nessa, Milo, Kabu, Gordie, Melony, Bea, and even Allister, and those were just the people Bede recognized. Most of the guests on the groom’s side appeared to be from Spikemuth, and Bede guessed that many of them were Team Yell members, although it was hard to tell since they weren’t in uniform.</p><p>The ceremony started with a short procession in. The groomsmen (groomswomen?) were Marnie and… a familiar-looking redheaded woman. The Pokémon professor, if Bede recalled correctly. What was her name again? They wore gold A-line dresses with black floral lace laying over the gold, and their hair was in neat curls. Marnie’s hair was usually so stick-straight that the curls made her look different – good different.</p><p>Piers, the groom, wore a white tux with a black bowtie and a boutonniere with two yellow roses surrounded by baby’s breath.</p><p>The bridesmaids (bridesmen?) both wore black tuxes with gold bowties. They all took their places and everyone in the chapel turned to the back.</p><p>Leon appeared, carrying a big gold-and-white bouquet, with his mother on his arm. He wore a sleeveless white dress with a white veil to match, and as he got closer to the front Bede could see a subtle floral pattern in the fabric of the flared floor-length skirt.</p><p>Piers looked stunned, and not in the corny way that always looked forced – his expression was genuine. He had the biggest smile on his face as Leon approached the altar and took his place next to him. Although Bede didn’t know either of them that well, he could tell that they were truly in love.</p><p>After the normal rites, the two recited vows they had written themselves. Leon's vows went like this:</p><p>“Piers, you came into my life in the most unexpected way, and this might sound crazy, but I knew ever since our first date that I was in love with you. You have a huge heart, you’re affectionate, and you’ve helped me grow so much as a person. I mean, not everyone would have the patience to try and teach me how to cook. And believe me, my mum has tried.” That remark elicited a polite laugh from the crowd. “But I guess what I’m trying to say is, when I’m with you I’m the luckiest person on the planet.” He got a little choked up at the end there, saying those words directly to Piers.</p><p>Piers’s vows went like this:</p><p>“I watched a lot of movies with weddin’ scenes in them to try and figure out what to say here, and one thing I noticed about these movies is that lots of ‘em have a character doin’ some grand romantic gesture. They’ll stop the other person at an airport, or find a way to write their name in the sky, or somethin’ like that. When I was younger, I always wondered why my love life couldn’t be like that. But now that I’m with you, I get why. Those movie characters would usually do somethin’ grand after they got in a big fight with each other… and we don’t fight.” Piers chuckled nervously. “You’re nothin’ but sweet and supportive. Bein’ with you makes me so happy, and I can’t wait to spend our lives together.”</p><p>Then came the exchanging of rings and the kiss. As everyone applauded the newlyweds, Opal leaned over to Bede.</p><p>“I do hope I get to attend <em>your</em> wedding in my lifetime,” she said over the applause.</p><p>Bede glanced at her, then returned his eyes to the front of the chapel. “Granny, do you have to be so morbid?”</p><p>“Yes. I’m not going to live forever, you know, and I don’t want you withering away by yourself in my old house when I’m gone.”</p><p>“I’ll be fine, Gran,” Bede muttered. The applause was dying down, so his voice changed to a whisper. “Do we have to have this conversation now?”</p><p>Opal also began to whisper. “Look at that happy couple up there! You’re a strapping young man, and you could have what they have if you put forth a little effort in your love life.”</p><p>“Honestly, you are the <em>last</em> person I want to be having this conversation with.”</p><p>“Fine then. Why don’t you find someone your own age to talk about it with? I’m sure Hop or even Marnie would happily lend an ear to hear all about your very exciting romantic endeavors.” She said this all coolly, with a strong layer of irony.</p><p>“That’s not funny.”</p><p>“But it’s true.”</p><p>***</p><p>The wedding photos for Leon’s side took probably three times longer than the ones for Piers’s, on account of the difference in the sizes of their families. Leon had grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, and the like, while Piers had… Marnie. Watching the photographer arrange and rearrange Leon’s family members around Leon and Piers made Marnie feel like the black Wooloo of the group. She was sweltering in the mid-July heat outside the wedding chapel by herself.</p><p>Sonia sidled up to her. “I hope this doesn’t go on much longer. It’s great that Leon got the summer wedding they wanted, but my makeup’s about to melt off.” She flashed Marnie a warm smile.</p><p>Marnie looked at Piers, who was surrounded by the family he was now a part of. He held his bride and smiled for the camera. “Mine too,” said Marnie with a sigh.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ha ha, it hurts a little :') <br/>Next chapter is about the reception so buckle the fuck up!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Reception</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>At Piers and Leon's wedding reception, some feelings come out and some stay bubbling just beneath the surface.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is kind of a wild ride. There's still plenty of humor in it but also be prepared for angst!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Though Marnie had only been to a handful of wedding receptions in her life, she knew a few things about them: they were always in a dimly lit room and the food was always bland. She stared down the chicken on her plate, wishing there was hot sauce available.</p><p>Why did she even get chicken? She’d never liked chicken that much. She must’ve not been thinking.</p><p>It didn’t help that she found it hard to eat anyway, what with being at the head table and having the constant feeling that the whole room was watching her eat. Or at least try to eat. She glanced at Piers, who sat next to her with Leon on his other side. He noticed her, pausing from his eating to give her a curious look.</p><p>“You okay?” he asked.</p><p>Marnie picked up her fork so that it at least looked like she was eating. “Nervous for my speech, I guess,” she muttered. It was a bit of a half-truth, but she wasn’t about to complain about the food or about being the best man and getting to sit at the head table.</p><p>Giving Marnie a half-smile, Piers squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t be nervous. You’ll do great.” She got an odd feeling of dread when Piers let go of her shoulder, like she was a balloon that had just been released into the open air, about to float up and up until it popped under the heat of the sun.</p><p>She tried to stay cool. Raihan was about to give his speech, then it would be her turn.</p><p>Unsurprisingly, Raihan’s speech was long and involved its fair share of crying. Raihan cried, Leon cried, Piers cried, and even Hop and Sonia shed a few tears. Marnie imagined that the guests who weren’t crying probably wished that Raihan would just end his damn speech already. When he finally finished, Marnie stood to give her speech, knowing it wouldn’t sound as sentimental or sappy, but it was all true and it was what she wanted to say.</p><p>“For as long as I can remember, it’s just been me and Piers. We don’t have any other family, but we’ve always gotten by. Piers raised me, and he’d probably tell you that as I grew up, I started raisin’ him some too.” The guests chuckled politely at that. “Our family is as small as it can be while still bein’ considered a family, but now,” she faced the bride and groom, “for Leon, I’m happy to make room for one more family member. Welcome.”</p><p>Marnie managed a small smile. Everyone applauded. Piers stood and gave her a hug. She hugged him back, getting choked up but not crying. No, she wouldn’t cry.</p><p>After dinner and the first dance, it was finally acceptable for Marnie to leave her spot at the head table. She headed for the bar, hoping they’d have something stronger than the champagne they’d served for the toast.</p><p>Bede was the last person she’d expect to run into at the bar, but there he was, holding a glass of something clear – a club soda, maybe? Or a vodka tonic? He leaned over the bar with uncharacteristically bad posture, wearing a black three-piece suit with a soft pink shirt and a lavender necktie. She approached him gingerly.</p><p>“Hey,” she said.</p><p>He looked up at her. Slouching like that, he even looked a little shorter than her. “Oh, hi Marnie. Great job with your speech.”</p><p>Marnie didn’t want to talk about her speech. “I’m surprised to see you at the bar. I thought ya didn’t drink.”</p><p>“I <em>can</em> drink, I just don’t do it often,” he replied, taking a sip. Whatever he was drinking, it definitely had vodka in it – Marnie could smell it. “I mostly just needed an excuse to get away from Granny. Apparently, weddings bring out the worst in her.”</p><p>Something told her to get closer to him, as if he was tugging on a string attached to her chest. She scooted closer and leaned over the bar next to him. “What happened?” she asked.</p><p>Bede sighed. “She got a little morbid, saying she wanted me to get married before she died.”</p><p>“What the hell?”</p><p>“I know. And then she went off about my love life. She told me that if I don’t find love then I might… waste away or something. She’s kind of been at it all night, too.”</p><p>Marnie shook her head. “Old people always act so weird at weddin’s.” She was about to say something else when Hop forced his way in between Marnie and Bede, putting an arm around both of them.</p><p>“Marnie! There you are,” he said, then he turned to Bede. “Hiya, Bede.” Hop had the biggest grin on his face, but he didn’t look smug – just excited. “Say, Marnie. Come do a shot with us.”</p><p>“You’re doin’ shots this early in the night?” Marnie asked. She tried to shrug Hop’s arm off her, but he was surprisingly strong for a guy who looked as lanky as he did.</p><p>Hop pulled her in tighter. “Yeah, it’s for good luck! We’re drinking to the happy couple.” Sensing Marnie’s hesitation, he persisted. “Come on, Marns. You’ve only got one brother, and he’s probably only gonna get married once. Let’s have some fun!”</p><p>Marnie rolled her eyes. She made eye contact with Bede, and a smile crept onto her face. “Fine. But only if Bede does a shot with us.”</p><p>Amethyst eyes widening, Bede stammered, “What?”</p><p>“Perfect!” Hop exclaimed, giving them both a friendly slap on the back that was just a little too hard. “Let’s go join the others.”</p><p>He dragged them to the other side of the bar, where Raihan, Sonia and Nessa were waiting for them. With a big, sweet smile, Sonia handed tequila shots to Hop, Marnie and Bede. Marnie saw Bede frown at his shot.</p><p>“I’m not sure about this,” Bede said to her.</p><p>“Don’t worry, it’s just one shot,” Marnie replied. “And it’s for good luck.”</p><p>The group clinked glasses, some more enthusiastically than others, and took their shots. Bede looked like he struggled to get his down, grimacing as his shoulders went up to his ears. It was weirdly cute.</p><p>Raihan let out a whoop. “Hey bartender,” he called, “pour us another round.”</p><p> Nessa raised her eyebrows at Raihan. “Are you sure? It’s still pretty early in the night.”</p><p>“Hell yeah I’m sure. It’s an open bar!” said Raihan, distributing the shots as the bartender poured them.</p><p>Bede tried to decline. “One’s enough for me, thanks.”</p><p>“No, no. Don’t try and get out of this,” Raihan insisted. “We have to drink for the good luck and prosperity of the happy couple. That means all of us. Now c’mon.” He placed the shot in Bede’s hand, then lifted his own shot. “To the happy couple!”</p><p>Everyone clinked glasses again, then downed their shots. This shot made Bede wince and cough. He washed it down with the rest of his vodka drink, which worried Marnie. She knew that Bede didn’t drink much, and maybe he didn’t realize how bad of an idea it could be to combine alcohols like that.</p><p>Raihan looked like he was about ready to order another round when the DJ stopped the music. “All right, all you single folks,” the DJ called, “it’s time to head over to the dance floor for the tossing of the bouquet!”</p><p>Marnie groaned. She’d always thought the bouquet-tossing tradition was tacky and she’d tried to talk Piers and Leon out of doing it, but Leon had kind of demanded that they do it. At least they weren’t also doing a garter toss – those were worse. She glanced at Hop and Bede, wondering which of them she could hide behind, but when she got to the dance floor and saw Raihan shoving his way to the front, she realized she probably didn’t need to hide.</p><p>“None of y’all better try and steal my bouquet from me,” Raihan announced to the group on the dance floor. “That shit is <em>mine, </em>and I’ll <em>fight </em>you for it!” His tone bordered the line between playfully competitive and frighteningly competitive, as a lot of Raihan’s actions tended to do. He bent his knees, amping himself up like he would before a Pokémon battle. “Come on, baby!” he called.</p><p>Back turned to the assembled group of single people, Leon tossed the bouquet over their head. It flew high, above Raihan’s reach, but Raihan pursued it like a football player trying to catch a pass.</p><p>“I’ve got it! I’ve got it!” he cried, pushing aside everyone who didn’t move on their own. It all happened quickly, but Marnie saw that the bouquet (and, in turn, Raihan) was heading right for Bede.</p><p>She didn’t have time to warn him to get out of Raihan’s way, so instead she grabbed the front of Bede’s jacket and (using more force than was probably necessary) pulled him toward her. The force made him stumble, not enough to fall, but enough that most of his weight was thrown onto Marnie and he ended up half-leaning on her. She let go of him, but he put his hands on her shoulders to try and regain balance.</p><p>Marnie hardly noticed Raihan catching the bouquet, or the gloating he did afterwards, because she found herself watching Bede. His face had turned pink, and he let go of her as fast as he could, his purple eyes darting to the floor.</p><p>“Sorry,” he stuttered. “I’m not usually this clumsy. I think it’s the alcohol.” He brushed a stray curl out of his face.</p><p>Marnie blushed too. He was oddly cute like that, embarrassed and unable to make eye contact. As the bouquet-catching crowd dispersed, the DJ started playing Come On Eileen. The song was a bit of a guilty pleasure for Marnie, so she asked Bede, “Wanna dance?”</p><p>Turning a deeper shade of pink, Bede replied, “Oh, I’m not much of a dancer. If I went out there, I’d probably just embarrass myself.”</p><p>“I’m sure ya won’t do any worse than that guy.” Marnie pointed to the spot on the dance floor where Hop was making some wild movements that somewhat resembled dancing.</p><p>Bede cracked up. “All right, as long as I know I’m not the worst dancer on the floor.”</p><p>They danced together for a few songs. Bede wasn’t a bad dancer. He wasn’t exactly a good dancer either, but neither was Marnie. What mattered was that they were having fun, and Bede even seemed to loosen up over time, which was refreshing considering how reserved he tended to be. Dancing like that with her friend, Marnie was even able to forget her worries about her brother for a while.</p><p>When they got tired of dancing, they headed back toward Bede’s table to take a break. Most of the other Gym Leaders had been seated there for dinner, but now everyone had vanished from that table, even Opal, who looked like she was deep in conversation with Piers on the other side of the room. The sight made Marnie smile. She was glad that Opal and Piers got to reunite, especially since they seemed fond of each other.</p><p>Marnie was so focused on watching Piers and Opal that it took a minute or two before she noticed Bede sitting next to her, staring at the table with a frown on his face.</p><p>“You okay?” she asked.</p><p>Bede just kept staring at the table as if she hadn’t said anything. His usually sharp eyes seemed dulled, probably by a mix of alcohol and exhaustion. It was like sitting down had flipped a switch that turned him somber.</p><p>She tried again, leaning in a little closer. “What’s up, Bede?”</p><p>“I, um…” Bede started, but then he stopped himself. He swallowed. “Never mind.”</p><p>“Is somethin’ wrong?”</p><p>Bede reddened. “I just… no. Nothing.” He clearly wanted to say something, but something was keeping him from getting it out.</p><p>Marnie wasn’t good at situations like this, but she got the feeling that she knew what the problem might be. “Are you drunk?” she asked softly. It was fine if he was – after all, this was a wedding reception – but she started to worry that he might get sick.</p><p>“Um. A little.” He still didn’t look up from the table. “I had a couple drinks with dinner…” He trailed off.</p><p>“I’ll get you a water,” she said, standing up. “Stay here.” She headed toward the bar, overhearing Raihan talking loudly to Nessa and Sonia along the way.</p><p>“That’s not what I’m saying,” Raihan hollered, still holding the bouquet he’d caught earlier. “All I’m trying to say is, where’s <em>my </em>hot twink husband? Like, where’s everyone finding these twinks to marry? Where can I get one?” Leaning against Nessa’s shoulder, Sonia laughed, and then Nessa could be heard talking, though she was too quiet for Marnie to pick up on what she was saying.</p><p>Marnie ignored the conversation. Raihan truly was too much sometimes. She got to the bar and asked for a water.</p><p>“Already switchin’ to water, are ya?” the bartender asked. He was also from Spikemuth, and while Marnie recognized him, she couldn’t remember his name.</p><p>“It’s not for me, it’s for my friend,” Marnie responded.</p><p>“Mkay. Want somethin’ for yourself then too?” he asked.</p><p>Marnie thought about it. “Sure. I’ve been drinkin’ tequila, so just get me somethin’ with that in it.”</p><p>“Comin’ right up, boss.” He poured her two drinks, one water and the other a bright pink drink. It looked like something Bede would drink, as he had a sweet tooth, but Marnie took a sip and it was pleasantly bitter. She thanked the bartender, threw a tip in his jar and headed back toward the table.</p><p>Sitting down next to Bede, she carefully placed both of their drinks on the table. “Drink up,” she encouraged him. “It’ll make ya feel better.”</p><p>“Thanks, Marnie,” Bede replied, even though his voice was still as somber as earlier. He took a deep breath, then sipped his water. As he stared into the clear glass, he muttered, “Marnie, you’re really nice.”</p><p>Marnie had no idea what to say to that. She got called a lot of things, and while most of them were good, she usually didn’t get called words like “nice.” Most people saw her as tough, ambitious, clever, things like that. But <em>nice?</em></p><p>Nice was weird, but in a weird way, she kind of liked it. She blushed. “Um, thanks, Bede. You’re pretty nice too.”</p><p>They sat in silence for a moment, each one waiting for the other to say something, before someone snatched Marnie’s shoulders from behind. Or, rather, two someones. Marnie turned her head to see Nessa and Sonia standing behind her. “Hey, sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” said Sonia. “We just need to borrow you for a second.”</p><p>Marnie narrowed her eyes at the couple. “Why?”</p><p>Nessa leaned in as if for dramatic effect. “We need you to help us settle a bet. It’ll be quick, I promise.”</p><p>Both women had hopeful smiles on their face, but Marnie didn’t want to get up and leave Bede by himself.</p><p>Apparently sensing her hesitation, Sonia added, “Please? You’re the only one who can help us with this.”</p><p>Marnie sighed. “Fine, but make it quick,” she grumbled, and before she could even finish her thought, the couple practically yanked her out of her chair and dragged her over toward where they’d been standing with Raihan just moments ago, this time joined by both Hop and Raihan.</p><p>“Okay, Marnie,” said Nessa as the group formed a small circle, “why don’t you tell us, in your own words, how Piers and Leon met?”</p><p><em>What is this, a courtroom? </em>Marnie thought. “Well, technically, they met through work—”</p><p>Nessa interrupted her. “Yeah, right, we all know that. But what led them to go on a <em>date</em> with each other?”</p><p>“Several years after they were no longer coworkers,” Sonia added.</p><p>Marnie blinked. Nessa, Sonia, Raihan, and Hop were all staring at her. She still had no idea what this conversation was supposed to be about. “Piers told me they matched on Tinder.”</p><p>Facing Raihan and gesturing toward Marnie, Nessa said, “There you go, Raihan. Hop and Marnie’s stories match up, and the fact that we’re all here at this wedding <em>proves</em> that Tinder dates can lead to marriages.”</p><p>Raihan shook his head. “Okay, fine. Maybe they <em>can</em> lead to marriage, but I’m sure that meeting someone at an anime convention can too. Does that mean I have to start going to anime conventions?”</p><p>“What do you have against online dating?” Sonia chirped. “Do you expect the perfect man to just fall out of the sky?”</p><p>There was definitely a fair share of alcohol involved in this conversation, and Marnie was quickly losing interest in the group’s half-drunk arguing. “Can I go now?” she asked.</p><p>“Sure. Thanks, Marnie.” said Sonia.</p><p>Marnie turned on her heel and left the group, gingerly heading back toward the table where she’d abandoned poor overserved Bede. When the table got within her line of sight, she realized he wasn’t there anymore. Instead, Piers was standing near that table, somehow by himself. His hands were in his pockets and he was staring absently at the seat where Marnie had sat. Marnie approached him.</p><p>“Hey,” she said.</p><p>“Hey,” he said.</p><p>“Where’d Bede go?”</p><p>The question seemingly breaking Piers’s trance, he met her eyes. His eye makeup was still perfect, despite the sweating and crying he’d surely done throughout the night. “Oh, ya musta missed it. Bede and Opal just left.”</p><p>“What?” Marnie knew it was getting late and Bede hadn’t exactly been feeling himself, but she figured he would’ve at least said goodbye.</p><p>“Yeah, he puked on himself, so Opal’s takin’ him home.”</p><p>“Oh.” Marnie let out a half-chuckle. “I guess I prob’ly shouldn’t have made him take those shots with me earlier.”</p><p>Piers puffed. “Ah, he’ll be fine. He’s tougher than he looks.” He paused, giving her a curious look. “Are you gonna be okay?”</p><p>“What? Yeah, I’m fine,” she said quickly and unconvincingly.</p><p>She wished Bede were still there.</p><p>***</p><p>It was the wee hours of the morning when Marnie finally returned to her hotel room for the night. With two queen-sized beds, the room was designed for two people, and there had been two people in the room last night: Marnie and Piers. Tonight, Piers was in the honeymoon suite with his new husband, and the fancy hotel room felt more like a cave. Marnie sat on the bed that her brother had slept in last night.</p><p>She’d been told in therapy that it was normal to cry at weddings, especially if you’re close to one or both people getting married. She’d been told that it could even be good to cry, to show the happy couple how meaningful their marriage is to you. Despite this and other encouragements, Marnie hadn’t cried at all that day. Selfishly, she hadn’t wanted anyone to see her cry, so she’d pushed it down, trying to focus on her responsibilities as best man.</p><p>But now she was alone.</p><p>There was no one there to hold it in for, and there were no more best man responsibilities.</p><p>Sitting in her hotel room by herself, palming the sheets that Piers had used last night, Marnie let herself cry.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hahaha, it hurts... <br/>For those of you who just want Bede and Marnie to date already: same, but I had to torment my characters a little more. They got some shit to work through so that they can earn it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Finale</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's the day after Piers and Leon's wedding, and Bede battles a hangover while Marnie finally stops battling her feelings.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry about the delay in finishing this, I got a little stuck with some of the dialogue and stuff so it took me a while to revise (with the help of my good friend Kugelschreiber). Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this final chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The day after the wedding, Bede woke up with an awful hangover. His head throbbed and his stomach churned. He tried to open his eyes, but the light coming from his window made everything worse, so he closed them again.</p>
<p>Tequila was a mistake.</p>
<p>He went back to sleep.</p>
<p>He woke up some time later to Opal’s voice outside his bedroom door. “Bede?” she called. She opened the door slowly. “Are you okay, dear? It’s almost noon.”</p>
<p>Opal didn’t usually call Bede “dear” unless she thought something was wrong, so Bede opened his eyes and (with some difficulty) managed to sit up so that she knew he was still alive. His head and stomach still hurt, but at least the light didn’t burn his eyes anymore. He looked at Opal. She was standing in his doorway with a glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol, and she also had a slight look of worry on her face.</p>
<p>“Here,” she said, placing the water and the pills on his bedside table. “Take a couple of these and drink all the water. All of it. You’ll need it.”</p>
<p>Though he was kind of being treated like a sick child, he was grateful for Opal’s concern. “Thanks, Granny,” he managed to whisper, and even whispering hurt his head. He took the Tylenol and drank the water like he was told.</p>
<p>“Of course, dear,” Opal replied. She gave him a warm, motherly smile.</p>
<p>Someone knocked at the front door.</p>
<p>Opal said, “I’ll get it.” She left Bede’s room and shut the door behind her.</p>
<p>Bede could hear Opal open the front door and start chatting with someone, though he couldn’t tell who was there.</p>
<p>He assumed it wasn’t important until Opal cracked open the door to his room, hissing at him, “Get up, boy. Get dressed. Marnie is here.”</p>
<p>“Marnie is here?” Bede stammered. He forgot his hangover so suddenly that it practically disappeared, replaced with adrenaline as he scurried out of bed, throwing on a binder, a pink t-shirt, and a pair of light blue jeans.</p>
<p>Bede left his room to find Marnie sitting on the loveseat in the living room, staring at her feet. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t even look up at him. Instead, she stood up silently, approached him, and hugged him.</p>
<p>Bede wasn’t much of a hugger, and he knew that Marnie wasn’t either, but he hugged her back. It felt weird, but good weird.</p>
<p>Opal, who was also in the room, cleared her throat. “I’ll leave you two alone,” she said, and retreated into her office.</p>
<p>They stayed there for a moment, not saying anything, just hugging, until Bede worked up the courage to ask, “Marnie… is everything okay?”</p>
<p>“No,” she whispered, her voice faltering like she might cry.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?” Bede asked, but he corrected himself. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”</p>
<p>Marnie let go of their hug and finally met Bede’s eyes. Her eyes were wet, like the tears could spill over at any second. It was a bit of a frightening sight for Bede, who was used to Marnie being stoic and composed, even in the hardest times. “Piers is the most important person in my life,” she choked, a single tear rolling down her pale cheek, “and I’m not the most important person in his anymore.” She pulled Bede back in for another hug, releasing a few quiet sobs before adding, “I don’t wanna be alone, Bede.”</p>
<p>As Bede held his friend and let her tears soak his shoulder, his heart broke for her. He hated seeing her like this, and he felt partially responsible for it. Maybe if he’d told her how he felt about her sooner, she wouldn’t feel alone now.</p>
<p>But now wasn’t the time for regrets. Now was the time for honesty. If Marnie could be vulnerable like this around Bede, then Bede could find a way to open up to Marnie. He told her what he’d meant to tell her last night.</p>
<p>“Marnie, I love you.”</p>
<p>Those four words sucked all the air out of the room. Marnie stopped crying. She sniffled. “What?” she muttered.</p>
<p><em>Be brave, Bede.</em> “I’m in love with you. I have been for a while. And I don’t want you to be lonely like this, because I know what it feels like.” Her face still against his shoulder, he stroked her coarse hair.</p>
<p>“Bede… I dunno what to say.”</p>
<p>Bede wanted to tell her that it was okay if she didn’t feel the same way, that it was enough that she wanted to be his friend, but the words got caught in his throat. The adrenaline rush of getting ready in a hurry was fading, allowing his hangover to return. He blurted out, “Wanna go out for coffee?”</p>
<p>They spent the rest of the afternoon together, going out for coffee, then taking a long Rapidash ride through Glimwood Tangle.</p>
<p>They talked all afternoon, too. Marnie was famously stoic and quiet, but she’d become comfortable enough around Bede that she started opening up to him and showing him her softer side. Bede would never forget the way she stared into her coffee cup that afternoon and muttered, “I think I love you too.” Or how she told him that she’d never seen the point in dating anyone until now, and if he’d be willing to give it a try, then she could too. She even brought up how it sucked that this all meant that Hop would probably take credit for them getting together. Bede’s latte nearly shot out his nose at that last observation.</p>
<p>After emerging from their ride through Glimwood Tangle, they returned to Opal’s house to make dinner together. They even made plans to meet up tomorrow, because why not? Being with Marnie felt easy, and it made Bede realize that they both had way more capacity for love than either of them could’ve ever imagined. It wasn’t the kind of love he’d experienced as a kid, the kind with strings attached, but something simpler that made it all the sweeter.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The next day, Marnie met up with her new boyfriend (boyfriend… what a concept!) in Circhester for lunch. As they were eating, Marnie got a video call. It was from Piers.</p>
<p>“That’s weird,” she said to Bede. “Piers is s’posed to be on his Alolan honeymoon right now. I wonder what’s up.” She picked up. “Hullo?”</p>
<p>Piers and Leon popped up on the screen, both reclined in beach chairs and sharing a blunt. They wore oversized sunglasses and matching black-and-white checkerboard print swim trunks. Piers smiled at Marnie. “Hey, sis,” he said. “We just wanted to check in on ya. What’s up?”</p>
<p>“Not much. Just havin’ lunch with Bede.” Marnie angled her phone so that Bede was in the shot, and Bede waved politely.</p>
<p>“Hi Bede!” Leon called, waving back.</p>
<p>Piers’s eyebrows went up. “Is somethin’ goin’ on here?” Maybe he noticed something subtle, something Marnie didn’t even notice about herself. Was she acting cheerier than normal? Did she have a guilty expression on her face?</p>
<p>Either way, she wasn’t about to keep her new relationship a secret from her brother. She didn’t want to risk an arse-kicking when he came back to Galar. Trying to sound casual, she said, “Bede and I are datin’ now.”</p>
<p>“What?!” Piers and Leon bellowed in unison, nearly falling out of their beach chairs in shock.</p>
<p>“Since when?” Piers asked as they both struggled to regain their balance.</p>
<p>“Since yesterday,” said Bede, a faint pink blush running across his cheeks as Marnie reached for his hand.</p>
<p>Leon grinned. “Wow, that’s awesome! Congrats, you guys!”</p>
<p>With a chuckle, Piers said, “I’m not gonna lie, it’s about fuckin’ time you two got together. It took you guys so long that I was startin’ to worry you didn’t actually like each other and we were all just makin’ fun of you for nothin’.”</p>
<p>Marnie puffed. “Whatever.”</p>
<p>Leon said, “Hey, guys! We’ve got a double date planned with Sonia and Nessa when we get back in town. You should join us and make it a triple date.”</p>
<p>Marnie looked at Bede, and she didn’t even have to ask. He simply replied, “Sure.”</p>
<p>They chatted for a while longer, the newlyweds telling Marnie and Bede all about Alola and all the honeymoon activities they’d planned during their stay. It was good to hear Piers’s voice, even to have his attention for a few minutes, and to get to talk to Leon too. When it was time to say goodbye, Marnie hung up the phone with a smile on her face.</p>
<p>It took her a second before she noticed the way Bede was looking at her. He wore a sort of knowing grin, as if he’d just figured something out.</p>
<p>“What’re ya lookin’ at me like that for?” Marnie asked.</p>
<p>“Well,” said Bede, his smile growing dreamy, “I was just thinking about how worried you were that you were losing your brother in all this. But seeing you talk to Piers and Leon like that, I can tell that you’re not losing a brother. You’re gaining one.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all so much for reading! This is all I've got planned for the Dedicated series, so I'm going to count this as a finished series. I might add some other stuff to it if I get any other ideas, but if I do it'll most likely be one-shots. I'd love to hear what my readers think though, so please feel free to leave a comment!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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